PORTABLE PNEUMOTACHOGRAPH FOR MEASURING COMPONENTS OF AN EXPIRATION VOLUME
First Claim
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1. A nitric oxide (NO) analyzer device that measures an NO level in a sample of an expiration volume from a patient, comprising:
- a processor;
a pneumotachograph tube having a duct and comprising;
a mouth piece through which the expiration volume from the patient is received and enters the duct; and
a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve that establishes an expiration resistance by limiting expiration flow from the patient into the pneumotachograph tube when pressure in the duct is less than a first threshold and opening to allow expiration flow into the duct when pressure in the duct exceeds the first threshold;
an NO measuring assembly coupled to the pneumotachograph tube and that detects the NO level in the sample, the sample taken from the expiration volume present in the duct, the NO sensor assembly controlled by the processor to measure the NO level at a point in time to correspond to exhalation from a zone of a respiratory tract of the patient to determine a location in the respiratory tract affected by disease.
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Abstract
A portable pneumotachograph for determining components in an exhalation volume. The problem of extreme sensitivity of sensors to temperature and moisture content of the gases, and cross-sensitivities to other potential components of the exhalation gas, is solved by providing a climate control chamber wherein a defined gas atmosphere can be set such that by means of the climate control chamber the relative humidity and/or temperature and/or composition of a sample and/or calibration gas can be set to predefined parameters.
18 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A nitric oxide (NO) analyzer device that measures an NO level in a sample of an expiration volume from a patient, comprising:
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a processor; a pneumotachograph tube having a duct and comprising; a mouth piece through which the expiration volume from the patient is received and enters the duct; and a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve that establishes an expiration resistance by limiting expiration flow from the patient into the pneumotachograph tube when pressure in the duct is less than a first threshold and opening to allow expiration flow into the duct when pressure in the duct exceeds the first threshold; an NO measuring assembly coupled to the pneumotachograph tube and that detects the NO level in the sample, the sample taken from the expiration volume present in the duct, the NO sensor assembly controlled by the processor to measure the NO level at a point in time to correspond to exhalation from a zone of a respiratory tract of the patient to determine a location in the respiratory tract affected by disease. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of determining location of disease in a respiratory tract of a patient, the method carried out by a nitric oxide (NO) analyzer and comprising:
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receiving, via a mouth piece of a pneumotachograph tube of the NO analyzer, an expiration volume from the patient, the expiration volume flowing into a duct of the pneumotachograph tube under control of a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve of the pneumotachograph tube, control by the PEEP valve comprising; establishing an expiration resistance by limiting expiration flow from the patient into the pneumotachograph tube when pressure in the duct is less than a first threshold; and allowing expiration flow into the duct when pressure exceeds the first threshold; and measuring, with an NO measuring assembly of the NO analyzer, an NO level in a sample of the expiration volume, the sample taken from the expiration volume present in the duct, the measuring controlled to measure the NO level at a point in time that corresponds to exhalation from a zone of the respiratory tract of the patient to determine the location in the respiratory tract affected by disease. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification